17 Unique Activities to do this Summer

Are you racking your brain trying to think of activities to keep your child entertained for 6 weeks solid? Does the thought of hearing them constantly moan, “I’m bored,” fill you with dread? Are you bored of doing the same activities every day, because you cannot think of anything else that won’t cost you a bomb? Fear Not! Here is our guide to 17 unique activities to do this summer. Some of the suggestions may be time honoured activities you have done plenty of times before, but with a unique twist.

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Build a Den

At the start of the summer holidays build a den with your child in the back garden. Or build one in the house. This is so they can have their own space to play throughout the whole summer holidays. It doesn’t have to be a flashy flat pack Wendy House that costs hundreds of pounds. It could be just a clothes horse with some sheets and fairy lights. One year I made an outdoor den with my brothers and we added a couple of old car seats to it. We even slept in the den that night. Well, they slept in it. I did not want to sleep in there, because they told me a story about spiders who ate campers in the night and it scared me. But that’s brothers for you. Aren’t you glad you’re an only child family?

Check out this video for a simple idea on building a durable den for the summer.

Bury a Time Capsule

Do you remember 2020? or would you rather forget it? That was certainly a remarkable year. Pandemics are rare, thankfully. However, it could be worth recording that time by burying a time capsule for prosperity’s sake. You can add some completed ‘home school’ work. Maybe that letter the Prime Minster sent to every household during the spring of 2020? Did you write a diary over the year? Perhaps you can add that too? Maybe add a newspaper cutting. Think about what you would like to see in a time capsule 100 years from today and add them to your own time capsule. Also, think about some predictions you would like to make for the future. They may be for your own life, or what you think the world will look like in 50-100 years.

Have an Alternative Book Day

When Sops was young we decided to play a funny trick on her father. I was defrosting the freezer. I put all the food in freezer bags and placed them in the garage. Then I cleaned the fridge and hid all the food in the garage too. Then I proceeded to clean all the cupboards, so I placed all the dry food in the garage as well. When Sops’ father returned from work there was no food in the kitchen. We told him a Tiger had come to tea and eaten all the food. He asked where the food was and we continued to tell him that a tiger had come to tea. Eventually, we showed him where the food was and put it away. I said, “in the book, the father believes his wife and daughter and takes them out to a café for dinner”. Sops’ father did take us out to a restaurant that evening so the plan worked!

Perhaps you can do something similar with another story? Maybe your child has 12 other friends and you can all dress as dwarves from the Hobbit and invade a friend’s house and eat all their food one evening. Or perhaps you can go boating and re-enact Swallows and Amazons? Maybe you can have an Un-birthday party with your favourite Mad Hatter? Your Alternative Book Day can be as wild and diverse as you want it to be. Just be sure to share your day in the comments box below.

Host an Olympic Games Competition

In 2012 Sops turned 3 years old. At the same time, the United Kingdom was hosting the 2012 Olympic Games. So the theme of her birthday was the “Olympic Games”. We hired a venue and invited all her little friends. I made an Olympic torch with cardboard and flaming red tissue paper. We started with a small relay race with the torch whilst playing Vanguard’s theme to Chariots of Fire. Then the children played a few games that imitated the Olympic games, including throwing a frisbee for a discus and some old ‘Sports day‘ games such as a sack race. They were all rewarded with medals and a customary ‘goodie bag’.

To be honest I think the children were very young to do this and had no real understanding of what they were doing. But it was very cute for the adults to watch. Perhaps you can host your own Olympic Games in your neighbourhood? Order some Sports Day equipment and medals and have a merry day in your garden or even a local park. The sports day equipment can be used for other events throughout the year, so they are worth the investment.

Set Up a Slushy Stand

Lemonade stands are old school. I have seen plenty of American kids’ TV programmes where they set up a little lemonade stand outside their house as their first entrepreneurial venture. But why not take it a step further and make icy cold slushy’s to sell during the hot summer months, or maybe sell some candy floss as well? Sops has both machines and we are currently discussing the idea of selling candy floss and Slushies during the summer. However, there are a few legal procedures you need to follow before starting. These procedures may seem a bit daunting and may put your child off trying to sell their wares, but this is a great way for them to learn what it takes to run a business.

For more information on the legalities of selling food and drink in the UK check out Howell Jones’ Solicitors blog on selling Jams and Lemonade.

Have a Sleepover

Everyone loves a sleepover, especially “only” children. Whilst it is great to have one’s own room, it’s even better to share it once in a while with friends. For Sops’ 9th birthday I invited three of their friends for a sleepover. We had a fancy dinner party with candles and wine glasses with Grape Juice in them, (aka “Children’s wine”). After dinner, we played Disney Karaoke using YouTube videos with lyrics and a hair brush for a microphone. I let Sops and her friends sleep downstairs in the living room. I put loads of junk food on the coffee table and told them they were only allowed to watch Disney Life (which existed before Disney+). Then I went to bed. At 3:00 am I was woken up to the introduction of The Lion King blasting from the TV. That’s when I told them to turn off the TV and the light and go to sleep. A good time was had by all.

If you still have your doubts, our post, ‘Should I let my child have a sleepover?‘ will convince you.

Fly on a Magic Flying Carpet

If you do arrange a sleepover in the summer why not consider playing the Magic Flying Carpet Game. The whole evening can be themed to one country, and everyone can learn heaps about the language and culture of a different nation.

Raise Money for Charity

Summertime is a great time to think about raising money for those in need. You have a bit more spare time on your hands so you could volunteer for a local charitable organisation, or work towards raising money for a cause that concerns you such as wildlife or children facing poverty. Many major charities offer free fundraising packs to inspire you and explain how to run a charitable event. You can choose to do anything no matter how strange it is. Maybe you will think of something so unique to do to raise money, you might break a World Record. To find out how to set up and break a World Record check out the World Record website.

Create a Board Game

When I was young I was obsessed with the cartoon strip Calvin and Hobbes. I even bought a large board and invented the ‘Calvin and Hobbes Board Game‘. My dad thought it was such a great game he suggested I sent it to a major board game manufacturer. I did not do that. But I did spend weeks designing it. It certainly kept me entertained and focused during long rainy days. So if you are tired of playing Ludo, why not create your own board game. Below is a video to give you some ideas on how to create a board game.

Make a video

Whilst at school, I was a member of the video club. It was a great extracurricular club and I learnt loads about creating special effects and modelling etc. We produced some weird videos. Imaginative children love putting on plays, puppet shows and making videos. It takes a lot to create a quality video. And one small scene can take an entire day to produce. But with perseverance and a whole load of imagination, your child could be the next Steven Spielberg.

Tik Tok Vs You Tube
Sops loves watching TikTok videos. In fact, she watches them so much that I think she is quite addicted to TikTok. I even wrote a blog post about it. Help my child is a Tik Tok addict! I am more of a fan of YouTube, where I think better quality videos are made. If your child wants to make videos and post them on the web, then it is best for your to supervise them and to start with short TikTok videos. Once they are confident with using the equipment to make short TikTok videos, they can then make more complex longer videos with YouTube. If you don’t want the whole world and his dog to see your gorgeous baby, just upload your little darling’s homemade videos on your computer for your own amusement.

Host a Treasure Hunt

Children love to use their brains. They enjoy solving puzzles, especially if there is an award at the end. Why not host a treasure hunt for your child and their friends? Draw a map or write clues and they can spend their day solving clues and taking part in challenges. Why not make it extra exciting by dressing up as a pirate and putting on your best pirate accent. Just make sure the prize is worth the effort the children put in. Nobody wants to spend a whole day solving clues for a one penny chew sweet, (that’s the sort of prize my primary school offered us).

Go to the Beach

There are so many awesome things to do at the beach in the summer. Obviously, you could lie about on the sand reading a book and checking your child hasn’t swum too far in the sea, or you can do something together as a whole family. The Tiny Beans Team suggests 32 Things to do at the beach (That’s not making a sandcastle).

Invent a Sport

A few years ago Sops’ invented a sport. It was called Human Croquet. It was a great idea, but we are still ironing out some issues with it. If we solve the problems we will share the game with you. But inventing a sport is a great way for your child to think creatively as well as take part in physical activity. So get out the balls and the sports day equipment and start inventing the next best new sport since Quidditch.

Perhaps this summer your child will want to take up a new sport? Our post, ‘What Sport is good for an only child?‘ may inspire them.

Play with Water

Whether it is paddling in a pool in your garden or splashing about in a public outdoor pool, make a point of playing in the water this summer. It is one of the best ways to keep cool in the heat of the day. Don’t forget to have plenty of water balloon and water pistol fights as well.

You can also take some nets to your local stream to catch newts, or catch crabs at the beach. Children love scooping up creatures in their nets to examine. Or use a few bath toys in the paddling pool and you can have a whole summer of fun playing with rubber ducks. Why not make some paper boats and re-enact the battle of Trafalgar?

Have a Circus Day

Circus’ are awesome. They are fun and highly entertaining. I am proud to have the circus and variety theatre as part of my heritage. There were clowns, acrobats and musicians in my family and I think Sops’ has inherited their acrobatic skills. She’s a natural. It’s easy to host a circus day in your neighbourhood. Lay out some simple circus tools for people to try including diablos, stilts, juggling balls etc. Offer to paint faces and try and put on a little show at the end of the day. You can make a lot of items yourself such as a ribbon on the end of a stick for a gymnast/dancer or homemade adjustable stilts.

Make a Fairy Garden

Fairy gardens are really sweet. You can make one in a large plant pot or a little patch in your garden. Fairies are small so they don’t need much space to live. You could add a little house or just a door. Fairies are magical, so they can make the door open to a whole new world. You can add little swings or a small pond so they can wash their faces. Be sure to add some little flowers and don’t forget to water them. You can make all these little things with sticks, paper, string and all sorts. Fairies aren’t fussy.

The Little Owl Academy suggests some great ideas on how to make a fairy garden with children.

Enter Competitions

There are many great competitions open for children to enter. This is a chance for your child to tap into their natural-born talent and create an amazing competition entry. Whether it is creating a piece of art, a piece of prose or simply reading books there is bound to be a competition your child would love to enter. The Prize Finder suggests a number of top kids’ competitions to enter.

Don’t Forget to enter our own summer competition this year for a chance to win a plush panda bear. For more information check out our competitions page.

Other ideas

We hope you have found inspiration in our 17 activities to do this summer. Remember to sign for our newsletter in order to receive other awesome suggestions for this summer. If you have some ideas on what to do this summer please do add them in the comments below or join the conversation in our Discord Server.